Horizon Europe is the most significant programme developing scientific and technological research in the European Union. This initiative was developed and negotiated by the European institutions. Horizon Europe follows Horizon 2020 program which ran from 2014 to 2020. The programme has a budget of 95.4 billion euros, to be spent over the period from 2021 to 2027.
Launch of Horizon Europe event
The event brings together speakers from all over Europe. It includes interventions by researchers, business leaders and political and governmental officials. The event aims to mobilize the whole Europe for the “Horizon Europe, 2021-27” programme. It focus on articulation with national programmes of recovery and resilience, in preparation under the “Next Generation EU, 2021-27” programme.
During the event, ideas for promoting the double green and digital transition across Europe particularly presented and discussed, in association with a resilient recovery through a renewed European Research Area – ERA.
The “Background Note” addresses the critical issues facing this process and the promotion of R&D activity in Europe today, including the need to increase public and private investment in R&D, particularly in the context of the recent reaffirmation by the European Commission of the 3% target of R&D investment in terms of gross domestic product, by 2030.
Horizon Europe focus on three pillars:
Excellent Science
Development of quality skills and knowledge in order to boost the European Union’s scientific leadership, involving all European regions and citizens. Creation of new markets, working conditions and skills, especially in sectors hardest hit by the pandemic.
Global challenges and European industrial competitiveness
Natural resources, mobility, food, digital media and energy are some of the fields that can expect research to be stepped up into the challenges they face, and into the associated industrial technologies. It is in this pillar that new partnerships are envisaged with a view to achieving carbon neutrality.
Innovative and inclusive Europe
Encouragement will provide the creation of new career paths related to research, in the public and private sectors, making these careers more inclusive, in particular for women and minorities. Research and recruitment ecosystems will focus to train and retain talent in Europe. Other objectives include cooperation between national funding agencies and the European Commission, also contributing to efforts to create networks of European universities.
The European Union wants to maintain its lead in innovation and research. Strengthening these sectors means boosting our response to global challenges in areas such as the environment, health, the social pillar or the economy. Horizon Europe is the research and innovation framework programme running from 2021-2027.
The EU institutions reached a political agreement on Horizon Europe on 11 December 2020. On this basis, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU proceed towards the adoption of the legal acts.
The strategic planning process will focus in particular on the Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness pillar of Horizon Europe. It will also cover the Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area part of the programme as well as relevant activities in other pillars.
The Strategic Plan will contain:
- key strategic orientations for research and innovation support and their targeted impact
- European partnerships (co-funded and co-programmed)
- missions
- areas of international cooperation
- specific issues like social sciences and humanities, gender, and the role of key enabling technologies
Mission areas
5 mission areas have been identified, each with a dedicated mission board and assembly. The board and assembly help specify, design and implement the specific missions which will launch under Horizon Europe in 2021.
- Adaptation to climate change including societal transformation
- Cancer
- Climate-neutral and smart cities
- Healthy oceans, seas, coastal and inland waters
- Soil health and food
Horizon Europe will support European partnerships with EU countries, the private sector, foundations and other stakeholders. The aim is to deliver on global challenges and industrial modernisation through concerted research and innovation efforts.
The first work programmes will be in April 2021. It is possible that the work programmes for the European Research Council (ERC) and European Innovation Council (EIC) will take place earlier.
